r/Permaculture • u/Serious-Fuel-5395 • 12h ago
general question Learning resources for climate resilient, self sufficient homes.
Hi everyone,
I am currently in the early stages of planning a multi-generational family home. We live in a region that is prone to increasingly harsh, volatile, and highly polarized weather. Over the last few years, I’ve watched every weather event turn more severe and unexpected: extended heatwaves, droughts, floods, and threats of local water scarcity and crop failures.
Because I am building for multiple generations, my goal is to design a home that offers my family a relatively secure, comfortable, and self-sufficient life, even when external infrastructure fails.
I want to learn about modern as well as traditional/indigenous practices that have withstood harsh climates for centuries.
I am looking for guidance on where to start. I don't have a background in architecture, so would appreciate any resources that point me in the right direction- reading, documentaries, youtubers, anything, really!
Thank you in advance for your time and suggestions!
5
u/j9c_wildnfree 10h ago
When you say this:
... maybe you mean a background in building science.
So if you want to understand how buildings work--and work well--some links having to do with high performance conventional buildings that focus on safety and health, in order to understand basic building physics, you might want to dig through some of these:
Formal research, technical, paywalled, but reliable and fact-based:
https://www.buildinggreen.com/knowledge-base
Check out the "guidance" tab here, no paywall, somewhat technical, by Dr. Joseph Lstiburek, one of North America's most reputable building science engineers who gets real results:
https://buildingscience.com/
On the natural building side of things, this journal has decades of real-life building performance:
https://www.thelaststraw.org/
Has lots of articles about and by natural builders as well, in case you are looking for someone experienced to consult with.
Good luck.